I wish this landowner would make up my mind for me!

[PA. Woodsman]

About 1/2 mile from my house there is a section of land between a street and the PA. turnpike that has a really good amount of wood that was cut down by a company called "Penn Line" so PP & L could run these new tension lines a few weeks ago. This area of land is down a hill, not very easy to access, they'll never be able to build on it, but I tracked down the owner, a real estate guy, and he has told me 3 times now that he called PP & L and is waiting for the guy who ran the project to return his call. I told him usually the landowner is the person that decides where the wood can go, but he keeps insisting that he has to talk to them. Well today I called PP & L, explained it to the woman and she said she will forward it to their tree trimming guys to see if they can help, but said " I doubt we want the wood". The woman who is doing the flagging work for the line workers told me that people already took some of the easier stuff to get to, that PP & L probably won't come back for it and I should just take it, but that's not right, I want this landowner to give me the okay but he doesn't sound like he understands how it works! I'll wait to see what they say if they call me, if I get some great, if not that's okay too, it's just so close to home and it is nice clean Black Locust and some other stuff!

Wow....

 

[claydogg84]

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on a call back...

 

[Roundgunner]

I would just pretend the flagger was the power company PR person and gather it up. Always easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

 

[D8Chumley]

I would just pretend the flagger was the power company PR person and gather it up. Always easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

I'm with Roundgunner. Wait too long the others will have it all cleaned up before you get any. @Roundgunner, in your sig line, did Harrison Ford really say that?

 

[Whiskey Fun]

I understand wanting the owner's ok, but if he's waiting on PPL, and if they're ok with it, you're essentially getting permission.
Not to change subjects, but this is my first year of cutting my own wood instead of buy cords. Has anyone else tried asking for free wood from recently fallen trees on the Facebook yard sale sites? I posted to a couple in my area, and the replies I'm getting from several people who have 10-20 trees of all different types is making me consider quitting my day job and doing this full time. I haven't been charging because if there was any property damage I don't want to be liable. I just sawed and hauled 2 cord of cedar and oak in a half day. Even if I only charged $100 for removal and $200/cord for firewood, that's $1,200 a day for minimally manual labor. Why isn't everybody doing this???

 

[heavy hammer]

The utility doesn't want it, they will either have someone remove it or chip it. I would take what you can it seems no one wants it.

 

[firefighterjake]

I'm usually the first person to say you should wait and get permission . . . but it truly sounds like you're mostly good to go here with the land owner poised to say yes and the flagger saying others have taking wood. At this point I would say go for it.

 

[lost in the woods]

because you have already contacted the landowner, I would most def. wait for permission. . . . if you didn't already contact the landowner it wouldn't be as bad taking a chance getting caught. . . but since he now knows your name phone number and where you live if there is a cutting-of-wood issue on that piece of ground , you are now the ''person of interest '' hahah just my thoughts hope it works out for you

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Will wonders never cease, I got a call back from a guy at PP & L, he left a message on my work phone saying it was okay to take it as long as it is okay with the owner, so I called the owner, held my cell phone up so he could listen to the message, and he said he'd meet me there Friday night 6:00 as he would like to be there "in case I fall" so he might've been a bit worried about someone trying to sue him, but I told him "if I hurt myself it's on me, no problem", so we'll see, I might get some of this wood after all!

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Well, the owner met me at this property and I got some wood this evening, but there is still a TON there. It is down an embankment, lots of rocks and gulleys, a sprained ankle waiting to happen or worse. He really appreciated the fact that I called him and went through the proper channels, and said "you can have it all", but it is a tough job getting it out of there, so I took some tonight, might go back another time but it isn't easy.

Anyways, doing some legwork paid off, I got some free wood and didn't hurt myself and might go back again!

 

[weatherguy]

If you know someone with a winch maybe see if you can borrow it and get the wood in an easier spot to work on it.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

If you know someone with a winch maybe see if you can borrow it and get the wood in an easier spot to work on it.

It's a tough area the way that it is laid out, it's on the side of a road on a turn so you really shouldn't be parking there and they have no parking signs, then it goes down a hill and even lower with lots of rocks and gulleys, broken bottles and very tough terrain. The strange thing is there is a wire fence with a grassy area between the wood and the turnpike but you can't access it; if you could, I could just cut and put it on the other side of the fence and load it up but there is no way to get back there that I can see. I think I'll go up again and just gather some more, put my 4 ways on and put up an orange cone like last night to load up and be happy with what I got.

But yes a winch would be a great help!

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I went back in there today, this time took my saw and sledge and wedge, cracked open a piece of Black Locust and it was loaded with ants. I surveyed the situation, pretty much just "cherry picked" what pieces I wanted and cut them to 18" rounds, tossed them, cut some more, tossed them farther, and got what I wanted out of there and home without twisting an ankle or falling. A guy I know who lives across the street came over and also said "there's no way to get any equipment in here...." and there isn't, it's downhill in a gulley so there is going to be a LOT of good wood that will probably just lay there for years unless someone else feels like going in there and half killing themselves to get it out. It was very draining and tiring, and not easy to maneuver around the rocks and branches on the ground that try to snag you and trip you let alone the broken bottles and other garbage that found it's way down there, but I got a good amount and left unscathed. In about a month or so it'll probably be grown in so that would make it even more difficult to get, plus loaded with bugs but I did get a good amount and am happy with it!